MOTH TO A FLAME ☆ CARLOS SAINZ JR

iv. announcements

NEW YORK CITY
SEPTEMBER 2022

     To say Sofía was nervous would be the understatement of the century. The butterflies in her stomach had not died down for the past week, every since she had finalized everything for this day. Not only was she in one of the biggest cities in the world, she would be announcing her album and playing her new single for everyone on her labels rooftop in the next few minutes.

Tons of people were already here, all of her friends, people she had worked with before, and many other people she had never met in her life that her management had invited. For some reason, Sofía felt like the setting was missing something. Missing someone.

There was only one person she found herself wanting to share all of this with. One of the only people who had been along on her journey from the very start, and she wasn't thinking about Nora because she was stood at the bar right now with Isla.

Her stomach was running in circles around itself, the immense guilt clawing at every inch of her insides as she glanced at Luca. Her boyfriend was stood with her best friend, Claudia, the two of them finally getting to know each other better. This wasn't fair to him, these thoughts weren't good for her either and she knew it.

"Are you ready?" her manager, Angie, comes up to her. The woman had been busy all day and had barely had a moment to speak with Sofía about what she would say when she announced everything.

Sofía takes a deep breath, taking hold of the microphone she was holding out for her. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Angie gives her a quick pat on her shoulder before moving over to the stage crew, exchanging a few words before she takes the stage. Sofías eyes wander over the crowd once again, the sight of the cameras set up for the live stream of the announcement stressing her out.

Would he be watching?

That was the last thing Sofía should be thinking about right now, but ever since the super market incident last month he had been eating up her thoughts once again.

What would he think about the songs she wrote about him? About them?

"Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, Sofía Reyes!" Angies voice snaps her out of her haze, her mind immediately going blank as she turns to climb the steps leading up to the stage.

"Wow. Um, okay. I really don't know what I'm supposed to say right now," the Spaniard giggles nervously, fingers tangling through her hair to push it backwards, "but thank you to all of you for coming. Obviously, we're all here because I've finally formed a career for myself."

Her friends all laugh, Isla screaming her cheers from the center to egg her on. Sofía had been so grateful when the woman had accepted her invite, being fashion week and all, Isla was always busier than bees on their food days.

"All jokes aside, this album and the songs on it are so special to me." the woman continues, hand on her chest as she spoke. "They relate back to times of happiness, of sorrow and of healing. I'm beyond happy to announce, that I will be releasing Tu Cielo on November third."

Another round of hollers and applause follows, Nora stood front and center as she bounces and squeals in her spot. One of Sofías band members comes on with her guitar, setting it up for her before handing it over as she sits on her stool.

"If it's no bother to you guys, I would really like to play you my first single off the album." Sofía situates herself on her seat, her fingers already starting to strum the starting chords. "This one's called No Soy Para Ti."